Today I have even more juicy stuff for you from Michele, to tempt and tease you into purchasing her book,Starfire. Not only do I have a fabulous excerpt, and some more character bios, but also the one and only Michele Zugnoni reading a chapter from the book for you! Eeeek!Okay, so go read, listen and look at everything, and don't forget to add it to your bookshelf, and enter in her competition to win some of the amazing Starfire goodies that she has lined up! There's cups, shot glasses, bookmarks, Amazon vouchers and tons more. The rafflecopter link was on Mondays post, so go and enter.Here's my review ofStarfire.Romeo & Juliet, eat your heart out.I loved this story. I loved the characters, but most of all I loved the natural atmosphere that is created within the world. Michele Zugnoni has made a wonderful world full of beauty and intrigue that sucked me right into the story from page one. I love natural characters and confident and realistic dialogue, and that's what I got. Team that with a heart wrenching, yet magical storyline and you have yourself an amazing story. Full of everything that I like within the paranormal worlds, yet missing the 'same-same' storyline that a lot of books seem to have. The characters also varied. Even though you have the typical 'star-crossed lovers' and 'the baddies' so to speak, they are so different from the standard these days. One of my favourite characters is Julia. Feisty, confident, but with a sweet shyness about her, she charmed her way into my heart. I truly kept thinking of Romeo and Juliet whenever she was on the page. Loved this book, and can't wait to read more from her. One of my new favourite paranormal writers.

We Have Another Wonderful Excerpt From Starfire

“Fine.” Cryss flung out her arms, exposing the plunging neckline of her gown. With swaying hips, she advanced on Clay. “You wanna have your fun romancing a Reaver? Go right ahead. But maybe you should remember one thing first.” Swallowing hard, Clay focused on the shadows swirling through Cryss’ eyes and not at the way her dress clung to her breasts. “What’s that?” “They killed Tommy, Clay.” The arch of her lips swelled into a lethal smile as the band struck an upbeat harmony and the grandfather clock clanged the midnight hour. “Just staked him, no questions asked. I was there, Angel. I heard him beg for his life; I heard him promise steadfast obedience to their laws. But they killed him anyway. Are those really the sort of people you wanna mess around with?” Curling her fingers into his shirt, she plunged them between his buttons, raking the skin of his chest with her long red nails. “Are they? What if they kill you next?” A stab of agony lanced Clay’s chest, followed by the torrent of pain that came with remembering that night: the night he’d stood in the shadows; the night he’d watched as they’d killed his friend. Because he’d been there, too. He’d been there, hiding behind a tree, too scared to do anything else. “Tommy was drinking from innocents. He abandoned the Lumince creed.” A thrum of laughter rippled from Cryss’ throat. “Know that for sure? Or d’you wanna try again?”

Character Bio For Julia & Trent

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Now A Special Treat, We Have The Lovely Michele Zugnoni Reading A Passage From Her Book Starfire Enjoy!

I have some more awesome stuff for you today from the fabulous Michele Zugnoni. It's the official release day of STARFIRE, her debut paranormal romance.This really is something very different for those of you that love all things vampy and supernatural. There are the Reavers, the Luminces and the Tainted. Luminces are born as vampires, but they are good and wouldn't harm or turn anyone else, Reavers are born to kill all vampires, and the Tainted are, well, they're the bad vampires! There's a beautiful story about how all three came to be, which you just have to read. So anyway, onwards... Today I have two character bio's for you, to help you get to know them a little more. Have a read and let me know what you think, and don't forget to enter her scavenger hunt. These really are very cool prizes! Just scroll down to yesterdays link and enter using the rafflecopter.

Okay, so let's have a look at some of the characters and see what they are all about.

Character Bio For: Cryss & Mia

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Check out this great excerpt from Starfire.

“You know,” Josh tugged Julia into his arms, “I’ve been waiting to get you alone all night. I didn’t think I’d ever get the chance.” “And so you chose a dance floor crowded with people. Smart plan.” Yanking his hands further up her waist, she glanced at a father Lumince dancing with his little girl. The child’s brown ringlets swirled around her ebony cheeks as her daddy lifted her onto his toes, twirling her around the room. Catching Julia’s gaze, the girl flashed her fangs and broke into an infectious grin. Josh wrinkled his nose with a disdainful sniff. “I don’t know if I’d call them people.” Julia’s grin faded. “And what exactly would you call them, Josh?” “More like creatures. Or abominations. Take your choice.” He gripped her hips and tugged her closer to his groin. Julia sneered and stumbled backward. “I think I’d prefer to stick with Luminces. Or, you know, vampires. The people we invited to this party.” “That’s the problem.” Josh curled his lip and glanced at a twenty-something Lumince couple coiled together within the shadows. They swayed to the beat of the music as the brunette raked his fangs down his date’s exposed throat. “No matter how many invites we extend, they’re always gonna be the same. A bunch of soulless blood suckers.” “Nice.” She turned Josh from the couple, suppressing a groan when the action brought her closer to his chest. “Can I ask you a question?” “Sure.” He nodded, his mouth against her ear. “You can ask me anything.” “Great.” Julia jerked her head to the side, avoiding the wet brush of his lips. “Is there anyone in the world—and I do mean anyone—that you care about more than you care about yourself? Be honest. It’s okay; I think I already know your answer.” Josh’s hands convulsed around her hips. “What happened to you, anyway? You used to be … cool. Fun, even. Where did all this love for vampires come from?” “People change.” Julia shrugged. “I did.” He shook his head. “Not that much. I’ll bet you still have the same desires you used to. The same … cravings.” He yanked her hips so close to his groin, she could feel him bulging hard against her thigh. Bending lower, he snared her lips within his mouth: a stolen kiss that died with the sharp groan that ripped from his throat. “Ouch! You bit me.” His eyes wet with pain, Josh pinched his swollen lip. “You frickin’ bit me!” “Gods, Josh!” Julia swiped her hand across her mouth. “Could you be any more disgusting?” “I don’t know, Jules.” Josh sneered. “Could you be any more obvious?” “What the hell is that supposed to mean?” “You tell me.” Stalking forward, he jabbed his finger at her chest. “You think I don’t know what you and your little friends are up to? That I don’t know you tried to hide Brennan before we could catch him? That you’re all a bunch of—” he leaned so close, she swore she could feel his anger radiate in livid waves, “disgusting sympathizers?” “I have no idea what you’re talking about.” Digging her fingernails into his shoulder, she pushed him back. People were watching; vampires had stopped dancing, the father and daughter had swept from the floor. The emerald-eyed blond crept from the shadows, flexing his fists and flashing his fangs. Glancing at their audience, Josh curled his bruised lips into a synthetic smile: the rubbery grin of a snake. “People are staring, Julia,” he whispered, stepping forward to trap her within his arms. “Smile pretty now.” “Why should I?” She stepped on his foot. “Because,” he hissed, kicking her off and tightening his grip, “I’m the only person in the world standing between you and certain punishment. You think just ‘cause your daddy’s Chief Reaver, it’s gonna spare you the pain of rebellion? You think you can go against everything you are and emerge unscathed? Think again, little girl. It doesn’t work that way.” “You’re an ass.” She clawed her nails into the taut skin of his neck. “And you’re a rebel.” He grimaced, tilting away from her touch. “Last I checked, the punishment for that was execution or banishment. You ready for that, Jules? Or do you want to play nice now?” Julia broke out of his arms. “You want to know what I want?” “I do.” “What I want,” her heels clacked against the floor as she stepped forward with a jerk of her hips, “is to dig my spiked heel into that small, hard thing you call a—”

Check Out The Starfire Book Trailer Below!

Here it is all you paranormal romance lovers. STARFIRE has landed! Woot! To kick off Michele Zugnoni's awesome new book release, we're going to be having a good old fashioned scavenger hunt! So, follow the rules, like, tweet, share and WIN big prizes! This is going to be going on for the next couple of days, so keep your eyes peeled and get excited. My review of Starfire will be coming tomorrow! (Pssst! It's amazing!)

Today I have the cover reveal for Paige Mathews new novel-Consume Me.I know for a fact that this book is seriously smoking hot, since I had the up-most pleasure in doing a beta read for her. I can't wait to read the final piece, and hear what you all have to say about it.

Thank you for letting me takeover your page briefly. I'm Brandy L Rivers, and I just put out the prequel for my Others of Edenton Series. New Beginnings is a full length book and takes place two years before In Too Deep which is already out. This one covers Jess and Slater's story.

Synopsis

Jess knew her life would never move forward if she remained a part of Gregory’s pack. Some Alpha’s just don’t know how to take care of their wolves. She had managed Gregory’s bar for years but she knew he would never sell it to her. After one giant mistake, he went from bad to worse. As a psychic, she knew it was a downward spiral. Taking her future in her own hands, she contacts the Alpha in Edenton. He is happy to sell the empty bar no one has the time, nor desire to renovate, much less run. Their attraction is unexpected and the last thing either want, but they find the only thing they need in each other. There is just one problem. Slater’s second in command is plotting against him. Liam will use anything to take over as Alpha. Plenty of werewolves, an old vampire flame, plus a paranoid second, and don’t forget the psychic with a whole lot of attitude.

Okay, so Amy sent me a little teaser from Interrupted, just to give you lucky readers a sneak peak as to what's been happening with Charlie whilst we've been away.

Interrupted Teaser

“All right, boys, listen up! Eat your donuts, drink your coffee. You’ve got eight minutes before we head out. We’re going to start on the third floor today, since starting on the first floor didn’t do crap for our luck yesterday. We’ve got to keep the pace up to make up for the time we’re going to lose having to come back to the first floor today…” Charlie assigned her maintenance guys to team up and then ran to the office to make sure Roxanne had everything she needed for the day. “Hey, hon. How’d it go yesterday?” Charlie asked. “It was really quiet, so I was able to get to some filing,” said Roxanne. “Oh good! Here, I brought you a donut and some coffee. Two sugars, right?” “Oh, thank you! Oh, we have two appointments today. One this morning, and another at two o’clock. I’m ready to lease this baby up!” Roxanne said.“Sounds good. I’ve got my phone on me, so call if you need anything.” With a wink, Charlie stuffed half a donut into her mouth and turned to head back to the maintenance gathering. Her cheeks puffed out with chocolatey goodness, she rounded the corner and plowed straight into Roxanne’s morning appointment. Charlie fell backward and landed hard on the floor. The other half of her donut went flying down the hall and she made a strange grunting noise. “Oww!” Charlie looked up at the potential leaser and saw him. Silver-blue eyes staring down at her, he crossed his arms over his chest, revealing a long-forgotten tattoo. A tiny dancer.

In-case you missed it the other day, here's the trailer to tempt you again.

So, what are you waiting for? Go buy it!

Amazon Book Links

Today is day two towards the release of Interrupted by Amy Queau. I have something simply A-freaking-Mazing for you today. I was lucky enough to bag an interview with Jesse (yes, you heard me right) from Progress and Interrupted! Well, I say lucky, but what I really mean is... umm, well, read it for yourself. He's not the most charming of men as we all know.

Jesse from Progress and Interrupted Interview.

CCR:- Today I’m interviewing Jesse from the amazing Progress series. Let’s see what he has to say.

CCR:- So Jesse, I’m just going to dive straight in with my questions. So, we all know that you have feelings for Charlie, but can you tell us in your own words what it actually is that you feel? Do you even know yourself?Jesse:- "Well now, that was out of the fucking blue. Nice way to start an interview. Next question."CCR:-(Rolls eyes at him.) You can be a bit of a jerk to her and I’m just wondering if you feel like you are worthy of her?Jesse:- "You're a feisty one. What's your name again? Claire? You're pretty sexy, you know. Have I told you how much I like redheads?"CCR:- So that’s a no then? You DON’T think that you’re worthy of her—interesting.Jesse:- (He clenches his jaw and glares, refusing to answer.)CCR:- You know that she loves Samuel, yet you’re intentionally trying to ruin her relationship with him. Why? Do you not think that she deserves to be happy?Jesse:- "Alright, I can see you're not interested." (Rolls eyes again) "Fine. To answer your question, yes, Charlie deserves to be happy. I didn't force her to get in my car that night. She's responsible for her own happiness, not me. I'm not responsible for anyone but myself. We live alone, we die alone. Everything and everyone else in between are just details. Mindless scramble for the decaying race that is 'human beings.' Are you writing this down? Because this is some good shit."CCR:- How many women have you slept with?Jesse:- "What the fuck kind of question is that? You think I keep a diary? Don't know. Don't care."CCR:- Typical! Moving on… What’s the weirdest sexual experience you've had?Jesse:- "Ha! Now this, I can answer. Mind if I smoke?" CCR:- Yes actually, but go right ahead since you will do anyway.Jesse:- (shrugging.) "Yeah, you're probably right. So I met this chick back in '09. We were at a concert, she had come with some of her girlfriends, and I was there alone. "She walks up to me, and I hadn't even noticed her before this, and starts kissing me. Well, I'm a guy, right? So, naturally I go with it. Here I was thinking she was gonna take me into the bathroom, or at least somewhere private, but, no. She unzips my jeans, then lifts what little of her skirt there was, and uses the people around us to climb her way on top of me! "So I'm fucking the hell out of her, listening to this SKA punk band in the background, watching her tits bounce up and down, almost smacking me in the face, all the while we're colliding with people around us. Her arms were flapping around, and she's screaming, 'Oh, god, yes! Yes! Fuck me, Hondo! Fuck me!' "And all I kept thinking was, 'God, damn. I wish I would have worn a rubber on this one.'"CCR:- You mean you didn’t? (shudder) Did it not bother you doing that in front of everyone?Jesse:- (Shrugs again.)CCR:- What’s your favourite sexual fantasy, and does it involve Charlie?Jesse:- "I don't have any more fantasies. They've all been used. And what I have with Charlie is reality, and also none of your business."CCR:- Feisty! (smiles.) Why do you use and abuse women? Don’t you want to be happy? Jesse:- "If they're happy being used and abused, then I'm happy to oblige. There's a reason I can't get enough of Charlie...we both thrive on the arguments’, the tension, and the abuse. It's what we both know; there's comfort in consist-- wait, don't write that down. Erase it. Never mind. Next question."CCR:- (writes it all down frantically!)Let’s get to know you a little bit better

CCR:- What’s your favourite band?Jesse:- "Of all time? Hmmm, I'd have to say my favorite band of all time is Less Than Jake. But, my favorite album of all time is Progress, by RX Bandits."CCR:- Good choices (smiles and blushes)Favourite food? And worst?Jesse:- "Seriously? That's the question you're going to ask me? That's going give you the epiphany you're looking for when it comes to the inner workings of my mind? Fucking women." He shakes his head. "Steak, tomatoes, respectively. "Next."CCR:- We have a lot in common, that’s another good choice. I cook a mean steak. Not that I’m coming on to you or anything,Jesse:- "Right," CCR:- I was just saying!Jesse:- "Sure, Claire, whatever you say. Why don't you come over here?" CCR:- Oh hell, forget it…Next question! The last time that you said you were sorry and actually meant it?Jesse:- "Honestly? I can't remember, but probably never."CCR:_ And there’s the jerk again. (sighs) What kind of future do you see for you and Charlie?Jesse:- "Do you think I'm an idiot? I see what you're trying to do here. You're trying to get me to admit some deep, profound affection for Charlie. You want me to sit here and pour my heart out so that you have something for your pathetic little interview. And you know what, Claire? I'm not going to do it. Because even if I had feelings for her, I sure as shit wouldn't tell you about them. You're a female, therefore your mind isn't capable of wrapping around this one. So, unless you want to take that sweet ass of yours and park it on my lap, there's nothing more I can tell you that you'll understand."CCR:- (Huffs) Jesus, you could have just said ‘no comment!’ Fine, moving on—again. What were your first thoughts when you saw Charlie?Jesse:- "Really, Claire? Come here. It's okay, I won't bite. I'm going to speak really slow and use small words so that you're sure to understand, got it? Good. "The average person has 60,000 thoughts in a day. "Which means I have approximately 180,612, give or take. "You want me to recall one random thought I had over two years ago about a girl I didn't know? "We've been sitting here together for about ten minutes now, and I'm pretty sure you consider yourself an expert on me already. So why don't you just answer the questions yourself, sweetheart."CCR:- Dick! Okay, I’ll answer it myself. Personally, I think that when you first saw her, you saw her as a victim, someone you could screw with, Jesse:- "That's enough, Claire,"CCR:- like a play toy to a cat. But you were shocked when she didn't roll over and play to your game,” Jesse:-"Shut-up, Claire," CCR:- THAT’S why you can’t let her go. She doesn't play by the rules everyone else plays by.Jesse:- "Fuck you, Claire! You don't know shit."CCR:- (Raises an eyebrow with a smirk as he lights another cigarette.) CCR:- How do you feel about Samuel?Jesse:- "Samuel, who?"CCR:-(laughs.) Aah, amnesia? Whatever. If you could say anything to Charlie without there being any repercussions’, what would it be?Jesse:-"Is she gonna see this? Never mind, let's come back to this question."CCR:- How many tattoos do you have?Jesse:- "Three."CCR:- Tell us about them. Every tattoo has a story, what’s your stories?Jesse:- "The first is this one, on my forearm. It doesn't mean anything anymore."CCR:- Why not? Jesse:-(Cocking his head to one side, he then chooses to ignore my previous question) "The second is on my ribcage, here. And I'm pretty sure you already know the story on that one."CCR:-(Nods) Yep.Jesse:- "The third is a shooting star, here, under my zipper. Would you like to come over here and find out why? Nah, it's fine, it's probably too long of a story for you, anyway."CCR:- (Laughs) Shooting star? That’s not what I heard, but moving on…What’s your dream job?Jesse:- "I've thought about this question before. It's true, I have. I've decided I want to be the Burger King. You know, that creepy fucker that surprises you when you wake up, you roll over and find a man with jewels wrapped around his over-sized head. He walks around the park, down the side walk, scaring the shit out of little kids. Yeah, I want to be him."CCR:- (Laughs even louder and gets a drink of water) THAT is your dream job? Ha ha, of course it is.Thanks for answering my questions, Jesse. I know everyone really wanted to get to know you a little bit better- especially women. I only have a couple more questions left for you.CCR:-Your life, though complicated, was much less confusing before you met Charlie. Do you wish that you had never met her?

Jesse:- "Wishing is pointless. What matters is that I have met her. We don't get to choose our fate, it chooses us.

If I could have let her go by now, I would have. But I've come to realize that I don't really have a choice in the matter, unless she chooses otherwise."

CCR:- I’m going to ask you this question again, if you could be honest with us all that would be great, so here it is. If you could say anything to Charlie without there being any repercussions’, what would it be?

Jesse:- "Alright, if you can guarantee me she'll never see this, I'll tell you.

"I'd tell her that she's the best, and the worst thing that's ever happened to me. I'd tell her that she's the reason I've done everything, been everything, and said everything that I have for the past two years. I'd tell her that she's the epitome of all that is good, wholesome and understanding, and I wished more people were like her. I'd thank her for her honesty and loyalty, when she didn't need to be honest or loyal. And lastly, I'd tell her that I'd give her my last breath if it meant saving her life over mine. Because she's worth it. And I'm not."

CCR:- See, Jesse, THAT’s the reason that women like you. That little glimpse into the kind of guy you could be if you weren't such a jerk all the time. However, we both know that you can’t keep that up for very long.

Thanks again, It’s been enlightening to say the least.

Jesse:- "It was nice to meet you. Oh, and, Claire? Here's my number," (he says with a wink, slapping my ass on the way out the door.)

CCR:- (Blushes,) Erm, thanks, don’t hold your breath.

Thoughts on my interview with Jesse.

Jesse is a complicated man, and yet in some ways, he’s so simple to understand. Sure he’ll play enough mind games with you to leave your brain scrambled, and he’ll kick you out of bed before you’ve even caught your breathe back, and yeah, he’s going to make you feel like shit every time you see him. When it comes down to it though, he’s more honest than anyone that I’ve ever interviewed. He tells it like it is, he says what he wants, regardless of anyone’s feelings, and he doesn’t sugar coat it or be polite, he is what he is. So in a way maybe he isn’t so complicated after all.

Yes he’s a jerk, and yes he’s going to break your heart, there’s no doubt about that, but regardless of that, everyone will give it a go at trying to tame the beast inside him. Everyone always thinks that they can change the man. What women need to understand about Jesse, is there is NO taming him. At least not where most women are concerned. Charlie however, is another matter entirely.

Did I phone him after the interview? No, I’ve seen how he’s chewed up and spat out Charlie, well that and I’m married!

As many of you may know I interviewed Amy several months back after the release of her first novel Progress. Progresswas the first book in the series and has been going from strength to strength since it's release. Being touted as the next big thing in women's chic-lit. Here's the link to my review of Progress- the first book in the series, and also a link to my previous interview with her.

So, today marks day one of my promo for Interrupted's release. It premiers this weekend, and I have some great things to share with you over the next couple of days. So with that in mind, I bet you'd like to see some exciting stuff from this talented author? Let's start with the book synopsis and trailer and see where our characters are heading in the next instalment of this wonderful series.

Happy Reading, Enjoy

Claire ♥

AUTHOR BIO Born and raised in Minnesota, I spent many years in high school struggling to pass my English classes and focused more on fine arts. In college I studied Graphic Design and worked in that field for about two years before I changed my mind about what I wanted to be when I grew up. Now married, and a mother of two, I spend most of my days juggling temper tantrums, mealtimes, dirty diapers a messy house and our ten year-old German Shorthair Pointer, Saba Lou. And although sometimes I complain, I secretly enjoy every minute of our chaos.

BLURB

After the emotional turmoil that was ‘Jesse’ subsides, Charlie manages to find peace with her decision to leave him, despite her conscience telling her otherwise. But saying goodbye to the drama proves to be an easier task than she anticipated.

And although Charlie’s life continues to test her strength, her will, and her motivation to pick herself up and dust herself off, she carves a new path. Making positive changes in her life, she gets a new job, a new apartment and a new guy; everything is nearly perfect. Nearly.

Hundreds of miles away, Jesse isn’t faring too well in their aftermath. But within his darkness he finds a purpose, and reconstructs himself with one goal in mind:

He needs to find his Charlie.

Interrupted is the second book in The Progress Series.

SNEAK PEEK TRAILER

From the 1st of July - the 6th of July it's INDIE-Pendence week over on GraveTells!As GraveTells so wonderfully puts it:'The purpose of Indie-Pendence Week is to help promote and de-mystify self-publishing and small-press publishing processes. We want to celebrate how exciting and kick-ass Indie can be, from reader, author, and publisher perspectives, and to help break down some of the doubts and hesitations that may still surround self-publishing and working with small presses. There’s a lot of talent out there, folks, and we want to bring it into the spotlight!' Last year was a huge success, and this years looks set to be even better, with give-aways interviews from some of your favourite authors, and book spotlights on some of the past years huge success stories and so much more.

Here's the schedule of all the exciting things that are happening this week.Monday, July 1

Editorial: Publisher Oliver Rhodes on how e-books have changed publishing and looking ahead to the future of the industry

Book Spotlight: The Husband Diet by Nancy Barone

Tech Spotlight: eReader accessories we love

There's also a massive fifty prizes up for grabs throughout the week, so be sure to head over every day and see what you can win. Don't keep this to yourself, share it, tweet it, blog it and Facebook it. Share the Indie love!Here's the list of wonderful authors and bloggers who have contributed to the giveaways.